Reaching age 65, baby boomers seek out retirement coaches

“Better late than never,” goes the old phrase. And, so it is for many baby boomers in their mid-60s.

The baby boomers who grew up during the hippie counterculture movement are unlikely to follow in their parents’ footsteps as they approach retirement.

But boomers, many of whom are turning 65, have no retirement road maps. They not only have to figure out how to make their money last, but they need to reinvent themselves in the second act of life.

“Before, retirement was a destination,” says Dorian Mintzer, a therapist and board-certified retirement transition coach based in Boston.”You had your retirement party and bought your condo in Florida. Now it’s a process. It’s a journey that can be daunting but can be very exciting, too.”

Although money is often at the top of retirement worries, many Boomers also have non-financial questions that may not be answered by a financial adviser. But there are now many different kinds of services available to help them navigate retirement, such as retirement coaches, elder life advisers and certified senior advisers. And there are free websites and books that also provide retirement tools and advice.

The services offered can vary. A retirement coach generally will help clients develop goals and plans for their retirement, while a certified senior adviser or elder life adviser is likely to offer help with social issues, such as senior housing and health care.

For more information, go to The International Coach Federation, at coachfederation.org and the Society of Certified Senior Advisors at www.csa.us.

3 Comments

Loved this article! I have been a certified retirement coach since 2005. My clients have planned well for retirement financially, but the psycho-social aspects of retirement have take them by surprise. Folks who retire early (late 50’s) may be looking at retirement years longer than the number of years they worked. “You can only golf, travel and visit the grandkids for so long,” one said to me. “My grandkids were 7 and 10 when I retired, now they are 17 and 20 and not so excited to see ol’ grandpa. I need my own life.”

For most of the folks I have worked with, retirement doesn’t mean the rocker, but it does mean a re-evaluation of what they want from life. Purpose, identity, social standing, even time management need to be examined in light of their new opportunities. Retirement can be an exciting new “ball game” if, like with most everything else, there is a vision.
I have seen first hand how boomers plan well for retirment financially, but do not realize the impact of retirement on their identity

I could have used a retirement coach. I retired from law 8 years ago and then re-careered. It’s still a work in progress and it takes a lot of time. There is a large emotional and self-esteem component to changing your identity, which I hadn’t really counted on. A coach would have helped.

Realizing there are such resources is an obstacle for both people in “first retirement” and for retirement coaches trying to get the word out about our services. That is one of the reasons I was so glad to see this article. Thanks for sharing that you think a coach would have been of value. If I can be of service at this point, let’s talk. You can reach me at jerilyn@jwillinconsulting.com.